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Article
Hyptertension among Haitians Living in the Bahamas
International Journal of the Bahamas (2013)
  • John Mazzeo, DePaul University
Abstract

For many Haitians in the Bahamas, migration and the process of adapting to life creates stress and may be correlated with high blood pressure. This study examines the social determinants of hypertension among Haitians in the Bahamas by exploring how experiences of migration create stress that is believed to cause high blood pressure. The Haitian explanatory model of high blood pressure, tansyon, explains the relationships between variables such as diet, stress, and poverty with the blood. Research was conducted in several Haitian communities in New Providence and Abaco using ethnographic methods such as interviews and participant observation. Information about hypertension was also obtained during community blood pressure education workshops conducted in collaboration with Haitian community associations. This study offers valuable insights for public health efforts in the Bahamas with Haitians on the issue of hypertension. This study is relevant to researchers studying the connections between hypertension and migration in other populations.

Keywords
  • Bahamas,
  • Haiti,
  • Migration,
  • Hypertension,
  • Community Health
Publication Date
Fall October, 2013
Citation Information
John Mazzeo. "Hyptertension among Haitians Living in the Bahamas" International Journal of the Bahamas Vol. 19 (2013)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/jmazzeo/60/